Liquids, such as beverages, detergents and pesticides, as well as many other liquids requiring airtight seals are packaged and contained in pouch-type containers. These containers typically include coverings or caps removably attached to opening portions, such as spouts, of the containers. A user can remove the cap from a container to access liquid contained therein and subsequently replace and reseal the cap to the container to maintain freshness of remaining liquid.
Protein powder and other supplement drinks are popular among bodybuilders and other exercise enthusiasts. Typically, supplement powder and a liquid, such as water or milk, are mixed in a blender and then poured into a container for consumption, or the power and liquid are mixed within the container by shaking the container. Some supplement drink consumers prefer to consume such drinks within certain timeframes, such as within 60 minutes (a so-called “golden window”) after exercising.
Many consumers prefer to keep supplement powder dry until they are ready to consume it. Thus, such consumers prefer to mix dry supplement powder with liquid just before they wish to drink the mixture. Several factors motivate delaying the addition of the liquid until just before the supplement is to be consumed. For example, cold liquid may be added to the powder, whereas a pre-mixed drink is likely to have warmed to an unappetizing temperature by the time a consumer is ready to drink it. Furthermore, pouches of dry powder are much lighter and less bulky than pouches that contain powder and liquid. In addition, some health-conscience consumers prefer not to purchase pre-mixed drinks, because pre-mixed drinks typically contain preservatives, and these consumers prefer to avoid these preservatives.
Although some consumers purchase supplement powder in large, multi-serving containers and scoop a single serving quantity into their own beverage containers when needed, other consumers prefer to purchase single-serving pouch-type beverage containers that are pre-filled with dry supplement powder and add liquid just before consuming a drink. In either case, the supplement powder needs to be mixed with the liquid. However, most supplements do not mix well with water. For example, some supplements tend to clump, foam or fizz. Milk avoids most of the mixing problems. However, many consumers prefer to avoid calories that would be provided by the milk.
Although pouch-type beverage containers have several advantages over rigid containers, pouch-type beverage containers become difficult to drink from as they become less than full. The pouch collapses, leaving little or nothing to solidly grasp, thereby making the containers awkward to drink from and difficult to shake, so as to mix supplement that has settled after an initial mixing. Furthermore, as the pouch collapses, it traps supplement in interior crevices and pockets and clinging to interior walls of the container. In some cases, a less-than-full pouch folds or flops, making it difficult to access some of the contents.